bunnings power tools factory

Metcash, which owns 85 per cent of the fast-growing Total Tools retail chain and also runs the Mitre 10 stores, is another beneficiary. It aims to expand the Total Tools network to 130 by 2025, from 94.

Bunnings is in the early stages of rolling out its tools retail stores Tool Kit Depot, basing it on the Adelaide Tools business it acquired in 2020. The first Tool Kit Depot store opened in Western Australia in Belmont in October, and three more were opened in December in WA. A further three are planned in the June half.

Mr Kierath said better technology and longer battery life are speeding up the shift. “Improvements in battery life, power and weight are accelerating the shift to battery-powered tools,” he said.

Power tools giant Techtronic Industries, which owns the Milwaukee and Ryobi brands and is listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange, on March 3 announced a strong set of results that showed that Australian and New Zealand power equipment sales grew by 32 per cent. Battery-powered equipment sales grew in total by 71 per cent in 2021.

Techtronic, which makes 90 per cent of its profits from power tools, lifted annual profits by 37 per cent to $US1.1 billion ($1.5 billion) in 2021, and says it’s a leader in battery-powered products.

Online sales represented 9 per cent of total sales for Total Tools in the six months ended October 31 in a period where the big cities of Sydney and Melbourne were in extended lockdowns from July until October.

Ever wonder who owns Craftsman tools? How about Milwaukee, Mac Tools, or Skilsaw? It may surprise you to know that only a handful of power tool companies own your favorite tools. That’s right, most tool brands fall under a parent company that also controls additional power tool manufacturers and brands. We break it down for you…with charts!

Stanley Black & Decker (SBD) turned heads when it bought Craftsman Tools in 2017 after Sears closed 235 stores in 2015. The company owns many brands, however. Dating back to 1843 with a man named Frederick Stanley, the company quickly formed its roots. In 2010, it merged with another company that started in 1910—Black and Decker. As of 2017, the company maintains a $7.5 billion business in tools & storage alone. SBD brands include:

As it turns out, TTI owns Milwaukee Tool and a host of other power tool companies. It also licenses the RIDGID* and RYOBI names for cordless power tools (Emerson owns RIDGID). TTI stands for Techtronic Industries Company Limited (TTI Group). Founded in 1985 in Hong Kong, TTI sells tools all over the world and employs over 22,000 people. TTI is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and had worldwide annual sales of over US$6 billion in 2017. Their brands include:

Not anymore. In 2017, Chervon acquired Skil Power Tool Brands from Bosch. This added two big brands to their portfolio: Skilsaw and Skil. Chervon started its power tools business unit back in 1993, launching the EGO brand of cordless outdoor power equipment in 2013. In 2018, the company rebranded Skil (including the logo) and announced new 12V and 20V cordless power tools. Today, Chervon tools and products are sold by more than 30,000 stores in 65 countries. Chervon manufactures the following brands:

First off, Bosch Tools only represents part of the Bosch Group which includes Robert Bosch GmbH and over 350 subsidiaries across 60+ countries. In 2003 Robert Bosch GmbH combined its North American power tool and power tool accessory divisions into one organization, forming Robert Bosch Tool Corporation in North America. The company designs, manufactures, and sells power tools, rotary and oscillating tools, power tool accessories, laser and optical leveling devices, and range finding tools all over the globe. Bosch also manufactures the following tools:

Husqvarna Group manufactures chainsaws, trimmers, robotic lawn mowers, and ride-on lawnmowers. The Group also makes garden watering products as well as cutting equipment and diamond tools for the construction and stone industries. They have a presence in more than 100 countries and employ over 13,000 people in 40 countries. Husqvarna Group also owns the following tools:

JPW owns several large brands including Jet, Powermatic, and Wilton. The company has its headquarters in La Vergne, Tennessee but also has operations in Switzerland, Germany, Russia, France, Taiwan, and China. They sell products in 20 countries throughout the world. Their tool brands include:

Apex Tool Group has its headquarters in Sparks, Maryland, USA and employs more than 8,000 workers. They operate in more than 30 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Annual revenues exceed $1.4 billion on the sale of hand tools, power tools, and electronics tools for the industrial, automotive, aerospace, and construction/DIY markets. The following tool manufacturers belong to APEX Tool Group:

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), Emerson controls power tool manufacturers and products in the industrial, commercial, and residential markets. While TTI licenses the RIDGID name for power tools, Emerson controls the following tools (among others):

Based in Wendlingen, Germany, TTS or Tooltechnic Systems owns Festool (electric and pneumatic tools), Tanos (not to be confused with the guy who destroyed half the universe), Narex, Sawstop, and now Shaper Tools. TTS is truly behind the scenes as it doesn’t really have appear to have its own website (at least not in the US) or an official logo. In bullet point format, its subsidiaries include:

Yamabiko Corporation started in 2008 and has three core business segments: outdoor power equipment, agricultural machinery, and industrial machinery. Based in Japan, Yamabiko is a global company with major markets in Japan and North America, and a growing presence in Europe and Asia. Tool brands include:

Founded over 100 years ago, ITW manufactures specialized industrial equipment, power tools, hand tools, and consumables. ITW operates in 57 countries with over 50,000 employees. They also have more than 17,000 granted and pending patents. ITW brands include:

Who makes Harbor Freight Power Tools remains a mystery—possibly because they may have switched suppliers in the past. Some have suggested LuTool, a company established in June 1999 supplies their power tools. LuTool has headquarters in Ningbo, China, and a North American office in Ontario, Canada. LuTool is owned by Gemay (Ningbo Gemay Industry Co Ltd) which also has its headquarters in Ningbo, China.

Not to be outdone, others have suggested Powerplus as the manufacturer behind the Drill Master, Warrior, Bauer, and Hercules lines of tools. Powerplus is a division of European company Varo with headquarters in Belgium.

Hilti and Makita are just Hilti and Makita. Hilti doesn’t have any subsidiary companies underneath them or a parent company over them. Makita, on the other hand, did acquire the Dolmar brand, bolstering its already-impressive line of outdoor power equipment tools. It’s pretty impressive the market share each of these companies enjoys!

We can’t leave out the popular house brands available at those big-box retailers and home improvement warehouses. Note that many (if not all) of the brands below represent ODM or OEM solutions. That means the tools get specified by the store but executed by another manufacturer. In other scenarios, tools are “offered” to a retailer and then manufactured in bulk upon acceptance of a buyer’s order.

While you may have thought you knew who owned all those power tool manufacturers, consolidation has changed the playing field. By far, Stanley Black & Decker demonstrates the largest buyout pattern. Companies like TTI, Apex Tool Group, ITW, and others also enjoy adding to their numbers.

It goes without saying that anyone that works in the construction industry will end up with a garage, shed or factory full of power tools. But having initially opted for the university path, it wasn’t until nearly nine years into my career that I had any real need to work with my hands or think seriously about buying any power tools. Of course I had collected a range of power tools – either passed down from my grandfather or purchased during one of my frequent trips to Bunnings while working around the house – but I knew they weren’t good enough for me to be able to rely on when working on site.

Having spoken to a few builders and tradesmen who already had a considerable collection, I settled on five major criteria – in order of importance – that I would use to answer these questions and decide which power tools I should buy:

The full range of tools that are available is not the same for each brand. Some smaller or international brands have a limited range or don’t sell their full range in Australia, which obviously makes expanding your collection difficult. Major brands like Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee have extensive ranges and provide all of the main types of tools you would expect to find available, with differences being in the specialist trades they target. Some of the considerations I made when comparing ranges between brands included:

12V, 18V and 36V – for the work I am likely to perform, I am far more likely to use 18V and 36V tools. The 12V range is less important to me than it might be to an electrician doing fit-off work or someone doing DIY projects around the house.

Tools such as lights, fans, radios, coffee machines, drills, grinders, saws, blowers and vacuums service just about every trade, so it’s unlikely the major brands won’t provide their own version within their range. There are genuine differences between the ranges offered by major brands for tools that focus on gardening, metalwork or demolition. The difference in the range of power gardening tools and 36V tools was a major factor in my decision to select Makita over Milwaukee or DeWalt.

Quite often the most expensive model on offer at Bunnings was not the flagship model. When simply comparing the price for a Makita drill from Total Tools and Bunnings, it seemed like Bunnings’ prices were identical. The drill they were actually selling though was one model down from the flagship model. For the same money I would get a better model if I bought it from Total Tools.

The warranties for tools purchased from Bunnings are not the same as for tools purchased from a tool shop. Some of the tools at Bunnings only came with a DIY warranty and would not be fixed or replaced in the event they failed when used for commercial purposes.

The level of expertise and advice provided by tool shops is generally far superior. Tool shops have strong relationships with sales representatives from all the brands they stock, have regular trade presentation nights and are aware of the full range of tools on offer; regardless of whether they stock them in store or not. In my experience, they are more willing to provide you with brochures, discuss tools they don’t traditionally stock in store, provide additional information or to call the sales representatives to answer detailed, technical questions.

Another obviously key criterion is how the tools perform. Just because a particular brand offers a tool in their range, doesn’t mean it’s going to be any good. Some of the considerations I made when comparing performance between similar tools offered by the different major brands included:

Assuming the tools being used are all top of their range, I wouldn’t expect to see any noticeable difference between the major brands. There are countless YouTube videos comparing Maktia’s best impact driver to DeWalt’s and Milwaukee’s, with very little difference between them. I do think however, that there is a difference in durability between Makita’s entry level impact driver and Makita’s flagship model which is covered more in the Price section below.

Comfort and versatility are big considerations and I do think that there is a noticeable difference between some of the brands with some of their tools. The weight of the tool and how that weight is balanced can have a significant impact on how you feel at the end of the day, as can how you grip the tool and position your body needs to be in to use it. Attachments are also generally provided to improve comfort; such as a side handle for a hammer drill that can be the difference between avoiding a serious wrist sprain or fracture while drilling. While only minor, small differences in design may restrict how you use the tool in tight spaces, off a ladder or overhead.

Each brand provides a variety of battery capacities, with bigger not necessarily being better. Bigger batteries are much heavier and take far longer to charge, so often I would rather swap more frequently between three smaller, lighter batteries than two larger, heavier batteries. Regardless of the brand, tools such as grinders and blowers are going to run batteries down far quicker than fans or drills.

While not necessarily a consideration that swayed me toward a particular brand, batteries and chargers are definitely a reason for me to stay with one brand. At last count, I have fifteen 5.0ah and eight 6.0ah batteries, with two single, three dual and two quad battery chargers; none of which would be of any use if I bought a Milwaukee or DeWalt power tool.

I found the cost of new power tools an interesting consideration to balance. There is not a great deal of difference in cost between the brands, but there is a difference in cost between the various models offered within a brand’s range. A hundred and fifty dollars difference between a base model and flagship model is not an insignificant difference, especially when multiplied out over ten or twelve tools in a package.

In my experience, when you need to rely on your tools day in, day out, you absolutely get what you pay for. There is no material difference in the performance of a base model tool compared to a flagship tool when working at home in your garage. Yes it may take longer to drill some holes or make the necessary cuts, but the job will get done and likely to the same standard regardless of what tools you are using.

Additional power, torque, electric braking, revolutions per minute etc all make a difference when you are completing the same task for hours, days or weeks at a time. My experience has been that flagship brushless tools last longer and are less likely to require replacement parts over the life of the tool.

As with most things, the more you buy at once, the more you are likely to save. Whether a large upfront investment is possible will obviously be determined by your available budget, but most brands will allow you to customise the packages that are on offer. This is another reason why I recommend purchasing tools from a tool shop instead of Bunnings, as a tool shop is far more likely to offer better packages and to customise packages. End of financial year sales and promotional events offered by tool shops are another great way to save money when buying a number of tools at once.

In the six years that I have been using Makita power tools, I have been incredibly happy with the performance of each and every tool, as well as the service I have received from a variety of Total Tools stores. I have always purchased the flagship models, and am yet to replace any of the tools that I originally purchased; with only minor scheduled servicing and replacement parts being required over that time.

It goes without saying that anyone that works in the construction industry will end up with a garage, shed or factory full of power tools. But having initially opted for the university path, it wasn’t until nearly nine years into my career that I had any real need to work with my hands or think seriously about buying any power tools. Of course I had collected a range of power tools – either passed down from my grandfather or purchased during one of my frequent trips to Bunnings while working around the house – but I knew they weren’t good enough for me to be able to rely on when working on site.

Having spoken to a few builders and tradesmen who already had a considerable collection, I settled on five major criteria – in order of importance – that I would use to answer these questions and decide which power tools I should buy:

The full range of tools that are available is not the same for each brand. Some smaller or international brands have a limited range or don’t sell their full range in Australia, which obviously makes expanding your collection difficult. Major brands like Makita, DeWalt and Milwaukee have extensive ranges and provide all of the main types of tools you would expect to find available, with differences being in the specialist trades they target. Some of the considerations I made when comparing ranges between brands included:

12V, 18V and 36V – for the work I am likely to perform, I am far more likely to use 18V and 36V tools. The 12V range is less important to me than it might be to an electrician doing fit-off work or someone doing DIY projects around the house.

Tools such as lights, fans, radios, coffee machines, drills, grinders, saws, blowers and vacuums service just about every trade, so it’s unlikely the major brands won’t provide their own version within their range. There are genuine differences between the ranges offered by major brands for tools that focus on gardening, metalwork or demolition. The difference in the range of power gardening tools and 36V tools was a major factor in my decision to select Makita over Milwaukee or DeWalt.

Quite often the most expensive model on offer at Bunnings was not the flagship model. When simply comparing the price for a Makita drill from Total Tools and Bunnings, it seemed like Bunnings’ prices were identical. The drill they were actually selling though was one model down from the flagship model. For the same money I would get a better model if I bought it from Total Tools.

The warranties for tools purchased from Bunnings are not the same as for tools purchased from a tool shop. Some of the tools at Bunnings only came with a DIY warranty and would not be fixed or replaced in the event they failed when used for commercial purposes.

The level of expertise and advice provided by tool shops is generally far superior. Tool shops have strong relationships with sales representatives from all the brands they stock, have regular trade presentation nights and are aware of the full range of tools on offer; regardless of whether they stock them in store or not. In my experience, they are more willing to provide you with brochures, discuss tools they don’t traditionally stock in store, provide additional information or to call the sales representatives to answer detailed, technical questions.

Another obviously key criterion is how the tools perform. Just because a particular brand offers a tool in their range, doesn’t mean it’s going to be any good. Some of the considerations I made when comparing performance between similar tools offered by the different major brands included:

Assuming the tools being used are all top of their range, I wouldn’t expect to see any noticeable difference between the major brands. There are countless YouTube videos comparing Maktia’s best impact driver to DeWalt’s and Milwaukee’s, with very little difference between them. I do think however, that there is a difference in durability between Makita’s entry level impact driver and Makita’s flagship model which is covered more in the Price section below.

Comfort and versatility are big considerations and I do think that there is a noticeable difference between some of the brands with some of their tools. The weight of the tool and how that weight is balanced can have a significant impact on how you feel at the end of the day, as can how you grip the tool and position your body needs to be in to use it. Attachments are also generally provided to improve comfort; such as a side handle for a hammer drill that can be the difference between avoiding a serious wrist sprain or fracture while drilling. While only minor, small differences in design may restrict how you use the tool in tight spaces, off a ladder or overhead.

Each brand provides a variety of battery capacities, with bigger not necessarily being better. Bigger batteries are much heavier and take far longer to charge, so often I would rather swap more frequently between three smaller, lighter batteries than two larger, heavier batteries. Regardless of the brand, tools such as grinders and blowers are going to run batteries down far quicker than fans or drills.

While not necessarily a consideration that swayed me toward a particular brand, batteries and chargers are definitely a reason for me to stay with one brand. At last count, I have fifteen 5.0ah and eight 6.0ah batteries, with two single, three dual and two quad battery chargers; none of which would be of any use if I bought a Milwaukee or DeWalt power tool.

I found the cost of new power tools an interesting consideration to balance. There is not a great deal of difference in cost between the brands, but there is a difference in cost between the various models offered within a brand’s range. A hundred and fifty dollars difference between a base model and flagship model is not an insignificant difference, especially when multiplied out over ten or twelve tools in a package.

In my experience, when you need to rely on your tools day in, day out, you absolutely get what you pay for. There is no material difference in the performance of a base model tool compared to a flagship tool when working at home in your garage. Yes it may take longer to drill some holes or make the necessary cuts, but the job will get done and likely to the same standard regardless of what tools you are using.

Additional power, torque, electric braking, revolutions per minute etc all make a difference when you are completing the same task for hours, days or weeks at a time. My experience has been that flagship brushless tools last longer and are less likely to require replacement parts over the life of the tool.

As with most things, the more you buy at once, the more you are likely to save. Whether a large upfront investment is possible will obviously be determined by your available budget, but most brands will allow you to customise the packages that are on offer. This is another reason why I recommend purchasing tools from a tool shop instead of Bunnings, as a tool shop is far more likely to offer better packages and to customise packages. End of financial year sales and promotional events offered by tool shops are another great way to save money when buying a number of tools at once.

In the six years that I have been using Makita power tools, I have been incredibly happy with the performance of each and every tool, as well as the service I have received from a variety of Total Tools stores. I have always purchased the flagship models, and am yet to replace any of the tools that I originally purchased; with only minor scheduled servicing and replacement parts being required over that time.

Bunnings announces that Adelaide Tools will become Tool Kit Depot, positioning the professional tools business for expansion into Western Australia starting in October. Bunnings acquired Adelaide Tools in 2020, as part of its strategy to deepen its relationships with trade customers. The retailer sells a range of professional power tools, power gardening and heavy machinery, along with a tool servicing offer.

Mike Schneider, Bunnings managing director, said: "Earlier this year we opened a new Adelaide Tools store in Parafield where we trialled new concepts and the response from customers was incredibly positive. It"s given us confidence in the evolution of the format that we need to take the business into WA and beyond."

Bunnings has a market share of around 50 percent in the Australian Do-It-Yourself hardware market, with competing chains including Home Timber & Hardware, Mitre 10 and various independent retailers such as Agora Marketplace and Total Tools around Australia.

Ozito Industries was established in Australia in 1993, and is committed to delivering value for money power tool products. Ozito power tools are sold exclusively through Bunnings Warehouse throughout Australia and New Zealand.

They ensure the quality of their products by performing rigorous tests on each. These tests include component comparison with competitors products, drop and impact testing, powered up switch cycling, and temperature rise and endurance testing. These tests are carried out by Ozito’s own research and development facilities, and SGS (Australia) Pty Ltd (a world renowned testing authority).

Accessories and consumables including generators, corded compressors, angle grinder discs and flanges, air tools and spark plug tools, chucks, collets, fixtec systems, chainsaw and pole pruner chains and blades, bars, line trimming heads and bump knobs, spark plugs, drill bits, saw blades, edger blades and shredder blades, dust bags and vacuum fitters, brushes, O-rings, seals, bearings, allen keys, sanding paper, mower and hedge trimmer blades, are excluded from extended warranty periods.

damage to the Product is caused by sand, water damage, rust corrosion, fire, vermin and/or insect infestation, power outages or surges, or inadequate or improper voltage or current;

damage to the Product is caused by sand, water damage, rust corrosion, fire, vermin and/or insect infestation, power outages or surges, or inadequate or improper voltage or current;